▶ Low-temperature curing technology reduces carbon emissions by 53%, equivalent to the environmental benefits of planting 100,000 pine trees each year.
▶ VOC emissions drop by 69%, enabling a proactive response to tightening global environmental standards.
▶ “We will continue to invest in low-carbon technologies to achieve our 2050 carbon neutrality goal.”
HD Hyundai XiteSolution, the intermediate holding company for HD Hyundai’s construction equipment business, has successfully developed a new coating that dramatically reduces carbon emissions generated during the painting process.
On Thursday, July 23, HD Hyundai XiteSolution announced the development of a low-temperature curing paint designed for construction machinery like excavators and wheel loaders. The new formulation cuts painting-related carbon emissions by approximately 53%. Developed after a year of research at the HD Hyundai XiteSolution Technology Institute, the new paint delivers an environmental benefit equivalent to planting roughly 104,000 pine trees per year.
Conventional coatings require a high-temperature range of 80°C to 100°C to cure. In contrast, this newly developed formulation cures at just 50°C to 60°C, significantly reducing the thermal energy required for the drying stage.
The company achieved this breakthrough by upgrading the coating chemistry from standard acrylic polyurethane to a fast-curing polyaspartic system.
HD Hyundai XiteSolution is currently testing the new paint on its production lines and plans to roll it out across its major Korean manufacturing facilities, including its Ulsan, Incheon, and Gunsan plants. Once fully implemented, the paint is expected to reduce liquefied natural gas (LNG) consumption—used to heat the drying ovens—by 320,000 m³, cutting annual carbon emissions by 689 metric tons.
Additionally, the new formulation releases 69% fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during drying compared to legacy coatings. This reduction allows the company to proactively meet increasingly stringent air quality regulations.
Beyond this new coating, the company has deployed low-VOC specialized paints across HD Construction Equipment’s facilities in China and electrified equipment production lines in Korea. Furthermore, the company is actively curbing greenhouse gases by transitioning its global manufacturing operations to renewable energy.
"Developing this new coating is a milestone achievement that allows us to decarbonize right from the heavy equipment manufacturing stage," said an HD Hyundai XiteSolution official. "Applying this to actual mass production will be an industry first. We will continue to improve plant energy efficiency and curb emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050."